The Austrian Section of the RCIT on May Day 2015

Every year, an important event in our tradition is the May Day demonstration, in which the Austrian section of the RCIT May Day
raises the revolutionary banner of international working class solidarity. This is all the more important, because on this very same day the social democratic party as well as numerous shades of
Stalinism also demonstrate, but mix the justified protest of workers and oppressed against the misery of capitalism with the pernicious praising of various forms of reformist betrayal.

For example, the social democratic party promotes its policy which it has implemented for many years from within a governmental
coalition in collusion with the conservative party. The ex-Stalinist Party of the European Left cheers SYRIZA’s capitulating policy in Greece; the Kurdish PKK celebrate Öcalan who is capitulating
to imperialism; and various Austrian and Turkish Stalinist groups praise Assad’s tyranny against the Syrian people.

In contrast to these varieties of reformist betrayal, the Austrian section of the RCIT demonstrates every May Day in the spirit
of revolutionary working class internationalism. This year we chanted slogans of solidarity with the liberation struggle against the reactionary dictatorships in Egypt and Syria as well as with
the resistance of the Yemeni people against the Saudi-led war of aggression. We expressed our unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian liberation struggle against the continuing Zionist
oppression. Similarly, we proclaimed slogans against racism in Austria, which is in particular directed against migrants coming from Muslim countries.

In this year’s March, our internationalism was reflected not only in the slogans of our contingent – numbering more than 70
people – but also in its multi-national composition. A significant share of our contingent was composed of Egyptian migrants with whom we have demonstrated repeatedly in the past against the
bloodthirsty dictatorship of General al-Sisi. In addition, many of our members and sympathizers come from Bosnia, Kosova, Serbia, Poland, Estonia, Chechnya, Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia,
Philippines, and Thailand.

At the concluding rally,Saadie Abdelatyfrom the Egyptian community
delivered a speech in Arabic in which she expressed her protest against the ongoing repression by the military regime in her country. She emphasized the importance of the struggle for
democracy.

Simon Müllauer, Spokesperson of the youth organization RED*REVOLUTION, emphasized
in his speech our solidarity with the national liberation struggle in Kurdistan as well as Palestine. He also sent his greetings to the courageous freedom fighters in Egypt and emphasized the
need of a socialist revolution, there and worldwide.

Michael Pröbsting, International Secretary of the RCIT, denounced the hypocrisy of Western imperialist
“democracy” and its anti-democratic content as demonstrated in the racism against Muslim migrants, as well as in its numerous wars of aggression in the Middle East. He showed how the only
solution to abolish this misery is socialism, in which all forms of exploitation and oppression will be abolished.

All three speeches as well as pictures of our contingent can be viewed on the RKOB
website at: